This is going to be more of an educational post for me rather than just being a "question".

In the past we have been running a 2003 Terminal Services machine in a traditional manner. Just simple Desktop publishing with the XP "look and feel" that we all know and love :-)

Now we are starting from scratch with 2012R2. I have never messed with it on 2008 or 2008R2 so comparisons to it won't clarify anything for me. I'm going from 2003 straight to 2012R2. I've spent a half a day looking at articles and YouTube videos about this and my head is just spinning. Everything I have seen/read is just way, way, way over-complicated for what I want.

I want one (maybe,... maybe,...two) RDS machines for the users to connect to. I will be using the traditional Desktop publishing as I did with 2003, and maybe,... maybe, ...Remote Apps via the user's web browser. But I have already seen potential functionality issues with Remote Apps.

Then there are the Licensing Server and Connection Broker confusion. Should the Licensing Server not be on the (or one of the) RDS machines? My options would be one of my two DCs or on a dual-homed 2012R2 RRAS machine I use for traditional incoming User-Initiated Remote Access VPN. The RRAS machine looks good since it really does absolutely nothing else but the RRAS, however it is dual-homed with an External facing Public Nic. The Connection Broker has the same questions attached to it as the Licensing Server for me.

I don't have a bunch of OS licenses the throw around, so I have to work with the 1 or 2 RDS machines plus whatever already exists on the network doing other jobs. So let's assume just one RDS machine for now (plus what already exists on the network) with the option of adding another RDS machine later.

Anyway, that's probably enough for a conversation....so what is everyone's thoughts on this?

I have a single RDS Server running all the RD server roles except for RD Gateway, which I don't use. Your RD Licensing and RD Connection Broker will run just fine on your single RD Session Host. I was pretty new to RDS and TS with Server 2012, so this was my basic simple setup that easily met my needs. Someone else with hands on experience can give you more info on how this scales to two RDS servers.

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I have a single RDS Server running all the RD server roles except for RD Gateway, which I don't use. Your RD Licensing and RD Connection Broker will run just fine on your single RD Session Host. I was pretty new to RDS and TS with Server 2012, so this was my basic simple setup that easily met my needs. Someone else with hands on experience can give you more info on how this scales to two RDS servers.

I have a single RDS Server running all the RD server roles except for RD Gateway, which I don't use. Your RD Licensing and RD Connection Broker will run just fine on your single RD Session Host. I was pretty new to RDS and TS with Server 2012, so this was my basic simple setup that easily met my needs. Someone else with hands on experience can give you more info on how this scales to two RDS servers.

This is also what I do. I don't use RD Gateway either. Any of my users that need to use our RDS server off network connect to VPN first then to the RDS server.

How many users are you supporting? I have about 100-150 users running our ERP software on the server depending on the day. It works very well.

I think the main thing I am wanting to know is where to put the License Server and Broker. It would seem best to not put them on the RDS machine itself but they should be on other machines. My choices are one of my two DCs or on an RRAS machine is use for the VPN, however it is dual-homed with an External facing Public Nic if that is a problem. But on the good side the RRAS box does nothing but RRAS so it is way under utilized.

I think putting them on a RDS box is bad because if there is more than one RDS box and you power down the one with the Licensing Server and the Broker then the remaining RDS box looses those services. Neither the RRAS box or the two DCs are likely to get restarted or shutdown very often

It is a low number of users and will have only one RDS box for now,...maybe a second one later on.

You don't need a broker and you don't need a gateway and you don't need a RDWeb. You no doubt have 3389 open to the 2003 server so just point that to the 2012R2 server and it will work. You can put licensing on the same Box/VM as the session server.

Very simple and virtually the same as you have now.

All the rest is just stuff for the sake of it as Technology goes. Better just really means more complicated. but if you need it then fine.

I've pretty much done as you said. The Broker and RD Web installed by default, so I left them on there. We may actually use RD Web somewhat, but only after VPN'ing in since I'm not going to make the HTTP/HTTPS side of things available to the Public side. In fact none of it is on the Public side,...users must VPN in first to be able to use any of it.

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